Reshiram revamp (GP 2/2)

<p>Although its dual STABs are notorious for being unresisted, Reshiram's reliance on weather, lack of defensive utility, and susceptibility to hazards make it a lesser player on the Ubers scene. Additionally, Reshiram has to compete with Kyurem-W for the position of "Dragon-type special nuke." In the minds of many, Kyurem-W's extra power, better Speed tier, and lack of weather dependence overshadow the ridiculous power of Reshiram's sun-boosted Blue Flare. The introduction of Regenerator Ho-Oh causes more problems. If Stealth Rock isn't up, Ho-Oh can now switch into a Choice Specs Draco Meteor and switch out to a resist on the second hit; any other move on the Choice Specs set&mdash;save for the uncommon Stone Edge&mdash;can be easily weathered by the flaming turkey. Taking into account all of these drawbacks, one might wonder if there is any reason to consider using it in BW2.</p>

<p>Fortunately, Reshiram's combination of Roost and Tailwind means that it can step outside of its traditional nuking role and provide support for its team. This is augmented by Reshiram's superior defensive typing, which allows it to stand up to sun-boosted Fire-type attacks, Genesect, and Ferrothorn&mdash;all things that threaten Kyurem-W immensely. That said, Reshiram's defining factor is its massively powerful Blue Flare. After the boosts from sun and STAB, Blue Flare hits 292.5 net Base Power; with the exception of Kyogre's Water Spout, it's the most powerful commonly seen special attack in Ubers! Reshiram's Dragon-type STAB also comes in handy for hitting the multitude of Fire resists in Ubers, giving Reshiram an edge over Ho-Oh against Kyogre and Giratina. Altogether, Reshiram is a versatile, powerful threat that one would be foolish to dismiss the viability of.</p>

<p>This is Reshiram's flagship set from BW1; Choice Specs pushes Reshiram's power to new heights. Its sun-boosted Blue Flare can 2HKO even the specially defensive behemoth that is Chansey with only minor residual damage; needless to say, more common walls, such as Lugia, Giratina, Groudon, and 252 / 0 Arceus (with the exception of the rarely seen Water Arceus), are blasted to bits by either of Reshiram's potent STABs. Because of this, Reshiram functions as an excellent wallbreaker; under sun, its power is so great that Blue Flare can OHKO Manaphy with no prior damage! That said, Choice Specs Reshiram has its fair share of flaws. A weakness to entry hazards severely limits Reshiram's ability to switch in and out freely. This is further compounded by its middling Speed, which leads to Reshiram being forced out by a multitude of faster threats. Moreover, the ubiquitous Kyogre can easily stomach a Blue Flare and dampen Reshiram's Fire-type attacks to a mere ember. Overall, though, Choice Specs Reshiram is a powerful wallbreaker that every team needs to be prepared for.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Because it has impeccable STAB coverage, Reshiram's coverage moves take less of a "I need to hit everything for neutral damage" role and more of a "What threats can I hit for super effective damage?" role. For this reason, Focus Blast is the main coverage option for this set, as it allows Reshiram to wipe the floor with Tyranitar and land a solid hit on Rock Arceus. Alternatively, one could run Stone Edge to get a solid hit on Ho-Oh, regardless of prior damage. That said, both of Reshiram's STABs can KO after Stealth Rock&mdash;despite its resistance, Ho-Oh takes 45-53% from a sun-boosted Blue Flare&mdash;and Stone Edge isn't a guaranteed KO. Because of this, Stone Edge is generally not recommended. One could also run Flamethrower over Dragon Pulse for a perfectly accurate Fire STAB. However, Dragon Pulse's lack of a Special Attack drop generally proves itself to be more useful than the extra accuracy of Flamethrower.</p>

<p>Weather is unarguably the most important factor in determining Reshiram's success. As such, Groudon is a mandatory partner. Without control over weather, Reshiram will be rendered ineffective against a large portion of teams due to the ubiquity of rain. Groudon's access to Stealth Rock compounds its usefulness; Choice Specs Reshiram greatly appreciates the presence of entry hazards on the opponent's field because they aid it in breaking through common switch-ins such as Ho-Oh&mdash;which can no longer switch into Reshiram at 50%&mdash;Kyogre, and Rock Arceus. A spinner or Magic Bounce user is also important to this set, due to its reliance on Reshiram's ability to switch in, hit hard, and switch out. Finally, Choice Specs Reshiram's wall-shattering power makes cleaners, such as Darkrai, Mewtwo, and Choice Scarf Palkia, great partners due to their ability to easily sweep through a weakened team.</p>

<p>While a Choice Specs set allows Reshiram to destroy stall, this set allows for more flexibility and greater staying power in exchange for a drop in damage output. With its ability to switch attacks, Reshiram poses a more significant threat to slow, bulky teams, which rely on pivoting to deal with it. This set thrives on forced switches, and against a hyper offense team Reshiram's bulk often won't be enough; it's exceedingly susceptible to getting revenge killed unless it runs Tailwind or Flame Charge.</p>

<p>Due to Reshiram's impeccable two-move coverage, an all-out offensive set is redundant; unfortunately, before BW2 Reshiram lacked the movepool to run an effective 3 Attacks + Support set. BW2 gave Reshiram exactly what it wanted: Roost. With reliable recovery, Reshiram can capitalize on the switches that it causes to get rid of hazard and Life Orb damage.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>This set's third moveslot, its support move, is one of the defining factors that determine how the set will play. Running Tailwind turns Reshiram into a momentum snatcher for its team, setting up on a forced switch and potentially sweeping. Although Modest Reshiram hits 558 Speed&mdash;which easily outspeeds most relevant threats&mdash;after a Tailwind, a Timid nature is still usable, as there will be times when Reshiram will not have time to use Tailwind. If maximum Speed is of no concern, one could run an alternative EV spread of 80 Atk / 252 SpA / 176 Spe, which allows Reshiram to outspeed the fastest commonly seen Ubers Choice Scarf user, Terrakion. However, 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe is generally better, because when Tailwind isn't in effect the loss of Speed is noticeable. Running Tailwind also allows Reshiram to support its team; powerful offensive wallbreakers, such as Rayquaza, mixed Zekrom, four attacks Mewtwo, and Lustrous Orb Palkia, become far more threatening with their Speed doubled. Alternatively, Roost can be run to increase Reshiram's longevity greatly; between hazards, Life Orb, and miscellaneous attacks, Reshiram's HP will drop quickly without it. Running Roost will transform Reshiram from a sweeper to a tank, taking hits, healing up, and returning fire.</p>

<p>As for the last slot, the main choice is between Outrage and Stone Edge. While Stone Edge allows Reshiram to annihilate Ho-Oh, Outrage is generally the better option due to its increased power against Latias, Chansey, and others. It can also serve as a backup sweeping tool if one is running Draco Meteor, as a Reshiram at -2 SpA will often want a solid STAB option to continue a sweep if need be. If one is running Tailwind in the third slot, Roost becomes a viable option in the last slot as well. Running the combination of Roost and Tailwind will turn Reshiram into a team supporter capable of facilitating sweeps repeatedly. However, the lack in coverage is noticeable and generally Outrage or Stone Edge will be of more use.</p>

<p>As will always be the case with Reshiram, sun support is mandatory for this set. Without it, Blue Flare will often be weakened by rain. Despite having Roost, Reshiram still appreciates Rapid Spin support, as the more turns spent recovering, the less turns are spent attacking. Entry hazards on the opponent's field are, as always, important. They allow Reshiram to get many of the KOs that it would otherwise miss. Paralysis is also incredibly important, especially if one isn't running Tailwind. Due to Reshiram's moderately low 90 base Speed, it needs the support to be able to perform to the best of its ability; Groudon, Dialga, Grass Arceus, and Ferrothorn can all spread this helpful status reliably. Finally, this set also appreciates not only the aforementioned wallbreakers, but a fast cleaner that can take advantage of the holes that Reshiram makes in teams.</p>

<p>Yet another exploitation of Reshiram's natural power and coverage, this set aims to sweep teams through the use of Flame Charge; frail offensive teams often are simply unable to handle a Reshiram at +1. Reshiram hits 459 Speed after a Flame Charge, which allows it to outspeed all relevant non-Choice Scarf Ubers threats, bar Deoxys-S&mdash;which does not commonly carry moves which can impede Reshiram&mdash;and users of Chlorophyll or Swift Swim. In addition, Flame Charge's chip damage can often trigger a favorable situation. Under sun, Rock Arceus can be KOed by the combination of Flame Charge and Draco Meteor after Stealth Rock; Ferrothorn or Forretress in sunlight are forced to switch, and Reshiram gets the Speed boost either way.</p>

<p>However, common Choice Scarf users, such as Terrakion and Palkia, can still outspeed and revenge kill +1 Reshiram; despite this downside, Genesect, another common Choice Scarf user, while still outspeeding Reshiram, is unable to revenge kill it without sacrificing itself with Explosion.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>There are two main variants of Flame Charge Reshiram: mixed and special. If one decides to go mixed (i.e. use Outrage or Stone Edge in the last slot), then one of Draco Meteor or Dragon Pulse has to be forgone. Draco Meteor has much higher power, allowing it to take out Choice Scarf Kyogre with relative ease, but its Special Attack drop is somewhat counter-intuitive with the sweeping&mdash;as opposed to nuking&mdash;nature of this set. If one chooses to run Draco Meteor, it's recommended that Outrage is run in the last slot to have a moderately powerful Dragon-type STAB on hand. Stone Edge makes another appearance, and is, again, is solely for taking out Ho-Oh in a single hit, as it would otherwise be a pest, forcing Reshiram into Outrage (which does not even OHKO unless Stealth Rock is present).</p>

<p>Alternatively, one could just run a special Flame Charge variant and get the best of both worlds. Having access to Dragon Pulse and Draco Meteor lets Reshiram get rid of some of its own checks before sweeping. While this is a viable strategy, it suffers from the huge block to almost all special attackers: Chansey. Even under sun, Blue Flare can't 2HKO after Stealth Rock, which means Chansey can come in and PP or Toxic stall Reshiram out. Moreover, Ho-Oh is only threatened by Draco Meteor after Stealth Rock, making it a fine check. In addition to its problems with Chansey, purely special Flame Charge Reshiram is complete setup bait after it uses Draco Meteor.</p>

<p>Flame Charge is pretty much the most high-maintenance Reshiram set there is. Due to the fact that Reshiram needs to be able to OHKO or 2HKO as many foes as possible when sweeping, sun support is, as always, mandatory. Entry hazards need to be up on the opponent's field as well, for the same reason. Because this set lacks as much power as some others, it needs all the help it can get; carrying a reliable Spikes user, such as Forretress, will work wonders. On the topic of Forretress, Rapid Spin support is helpful as well; however, it's not as important as with the Choice Specs set due to the fact that the aim of this set is to sweep. That said, it is important to keep residual damage to a minimum on Reshiram, as not only does Flame Charge expose Reshiram for a turn, but should its HP get too low, it is liable to be sniped by the myriad of priority in Ubers. For the same reason, try to bring Reshiram in off of a KO or a slow U-turn or Volt Switch to keep the extra damage at bay. Finally, a wallbreaker, such as Kyurem-W or Mewtwo, will help to soften up Reshiram's checks so it can sweep; this will especially help get Reshiram past Ho-Oh and Chansey, two of its most reliable checks.</p>

<p>On such an offensively-oriented Pokemon, one might wonder why a SubRoost set is even considered. Because Reshiram only needs two moveslots to get perfect neutral coverage, it can run SubRoost alongside its attacking moves and not lose out on any major threats. Reshiram can set up Substitutes on a multitude of defensive Pokemon, most notable Ferrothorn and Forretress, with no fear of having its Substitute broken. With Substitute, Reshiram no longer has to rely on predicting the switch-in; with a Substitute up, the opponent has to stand and fight regardless of how fast or strong they are. Because of this, SubRoost Reshiram makes a great lure to weaken its checks; use Substitute on the switch, attack while they break the sub, and switch out to a pivot. Roost allows Reshiram to recover HP lost from Substitute, hazards, and other miscellaneous damage. With the combination of Substitute and Roost, Reshiram becomes an efficient weapon against bulky teams; even with Leftovers, its attacks are fearsomely powerful.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The choice between Draco Meteor and Dragon Pulse is one of power vs. reliability. With Draco Meteor, Reshiram has an enormous amount of immediate power, consistently being able to OHKO Kyurem-W at -2 after Stealth Rock and 2HKO offensive Dialga. However, Reshiram becomes a giant, flaming, sitting duck after using it due to the stat drop. On the other hand, Dragon Pulse is significantly weaker but cannot be played around like Draco Meteor, due to its consistent damage.</p>

<p>Because this set forces a lot of switches, hazards are mandatory to its success. SubRoost Reshiram excels at wearing down balanced teams that are simply unable to juggle coping with the onslaught of attacks that Reshiram throws at it and breaking Reshiram's Substitutes; as such, cleaners that can sweep crippled opponents are welcome partners. Also, SubRoost Reshiram is fairly slow. Because of this, it will struggle against offensive teams unless it has paralysis support.</p>

<p>This set is unique for being Reshiram's only set that can accomplish much of its intended goal under rain. As such, while sun support is highly recommended, it is not required; if running this set without Groudon as a partner, one should run Dragon Pulse in the last slot. The trio of Substitute, Roost, and Dragon Pulse allow Reshiram to outlast a surprising number of foes. Because this set does not rely on sheer force to get past opponents, Leftovers is recommended to offset Substitute's HP cost. Life Orb is a feasible option to increase Reshiram's damage output; however, its recoil is not appreciated in conjunction with Substitute.</p>

<p>While other Reshiram sets aim to break teams apart after their checks are gone, Sunny Day Reshiram intends to lure some of those same checks in and eliminate them. By using Sunny Day, Reshiram can beat Kyogre, although against variants that outspeed it, such as Choice Scarf, one needs to predict the switch-in. However, in the case of specially defensive Kyogre, Reshiram doesn't even need to predict, as it outspeeds regardless; under sun, Kyogre deals a pitiful 15.24-18.18% with Scald. However, Reshiram will not be able to KO the same Kyogre reliably unless it is using SolarBeam. Sunny Day Reshiram plays a little more conservatively than the other sets; while they capitalize on Reshiram's power and coverage to force switches, this set focuses on eliminating its counters. Because of this, one will have to adjust their use of Reshiram accordingly. Sunny Day Reshiram has to be played carefully, as it lacks the immediate power, speed, or safety that the other sets have.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>In addition to its upfront purpose, Sunny Day Reshiram also fulfills a hidden task: weather backup. If one's weather inducer (presumably Groudon) is KOed, the opponent will automatically start playing more recklessly with theirs. Once their inducer faints, Sunny Day Reshiram swoops in, creating sun for five turns and permanently eradicating the adverse weather. The illusion of not having a second inducer can be augmented by bluffing a Choice item on Reshiram through the use of Charcoal; however, the loss in power is obvious on everything but its Fire-type STAB.</p>

<p>Roost is usable for the same reasons as the offensive set. Reshiram does have a bit of bulk to its name (+1 U-turn from max Attack Genesect deals 23.75 – 28.15%), and with Roost it could act as a bulky weather pivot. That said, running Roost requires Reshiram to forgo its coverage move, which means that it'll be tough to take down Tyranitar even under sun.</p>

<p>Sunny Day Reshiram isn't meant to be a weather inducer for the team; rather, it is the counter-inducer. Thus, Groudon is an excellent partner as usual. Plenty of hazards help Reshiram get past Kyogre and Tyranitar, as well as its old foes. Due to Sunny Day Reshiram's ability to increase one's control over weather, running sun-dependent Pokemon, such as Blaziken and Ho-Oh, is a good idea with this set.</p>

<p>In a similar vein to Flame Charge, Choice Scarf enables Reshiram to clean up weakened opposing teams with relative ease. Though it competes with Kyurem-W, Reshiram has a potent niche as a Choice Scarf user due to its Blue Flare. Even without a boosting item, a sun-boosted Blue Flare is incredibly powerful&mdash;252/0 Arceus can be OHKOed after Stealth Rock, while Great Wall Lugia is swiftly 2HKOed. Ironically, Choice Scarf Reshiram can also check Ho-Oh with decent success due to its ability to switch in on Sacred Fire with impunity and deal heavy damage with Stone Edge. Unfortunately, Reshiram's weather dependence holds it back at times. Without a boosting item, Blue Flare loses much of its power under rain, severely limiting the scope of opponents that it can efficiently revenge kill.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>While Dragon Pulse is useful for cleaning weakened teams regardless of weather, Outrage is a viable option due to its ability to OHKO Latias after Stealth Rock. Though Outrage doesn't hurt when it's coming unboosted from a 4 Atk 120 base Attack stat, not much is lost due to the fact that Scarf Reshiram is better off cleaning with Blue Flare late-game. Basically, if you need to be able to revenge kill Latias, run Outrage; otherwise, Dragon Pulse is your best bet.</p>

<p>Though it's best to stick to the given set, Focus Blast could theoretically be run over Stone Edge to dent Tyranitar and Rock Arceus. However, the extra damage does not usually warrant a slot over the ability to eliminate Ho-Oh semi-reliably. The choice between Mild and Hasty is the eternal battle between speed and power; Hasty grants Reshiram the ability to tie with other +1 base 90s, whereas Mild grants it the extra boost that is needed to get some notable KOs.</p>

<p>When using Choice Scarf Reshiram, it is of cardinal importance that one makes sure that it is not outclassed by Kyurem-W. As has been touched on (or rather, persistently reiterated), Reshiram needs sun to function at the top of its game. As it is a potent cleaner, Choice Scarf Reshiram settles into a defensive sun team quite nicely, increasing the team's ability to handle threats such as Ghost Arceus, Mewtwo, and Genesect, as well as ripping through weakened offense. Defensive sun teams are pretty much the most reliable format with which to maintain sun; as Choice Scarf Reshiram isn't as powerful as other Reshiram variants, it is arguably the most dependent on weather. In addition, due to its aforementioned lowered damage output, Choice Scarf Reshiram appreciates the hazards that a stall team can get up and keep up greatly.</p>

<p>On the other hand, offensive sun also appreciates Choice Scarf Reshiram's combination of speed and power. Ironically, Reshiram forms a powerful offensive core with Kyurem-W by breaking each other's checks. Reshiram also appreciates the wallbreakers that are so commonly found on sun offense, such as Palkia, Rayquaza, and Ho-Oh, as they weaken opposing teams&mdash;this in turn allows Reshiram to break through the opponent by way of sheer force.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>While Reshiram has other possible sets, it's best that one sticks to the beaten path. A lure set with Expert Belt is feasible, but Reshiram's STABs provide neutral, not super effective, coverage. However, if one was to run such a set, a moveset of Draco Meteor, Blue Flare, Focus Blast, and Stone Edge best deals with Reshiram's most prominent checks. Though it's highly unrecommended, Reshiram can run a dual screens set with Roost, Reflect, Light Screen, and Draco Meteor. While it works in theory, the opportunity cost is high, and it's heavily outclassed in practice by Deoxys-S and Latios due to their higher Speed and better utility moves.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Although Reshiram might not have counters in the strictest definition of the word, specially defensive Kyogre and Water Arceus come pretty damn close. Without Stealth Rock down, the only set that can hope to best them is Sunny Day Reshiram with SolarBeam, although Kyogre will also fall to Outrage. Even Chansey can't switch in safely, for fear of being 2HKOed by Blue Flare after Stealth Rock. However, Reshiram loses a lot of its power when it doesn't have sun, and even more when it's raining. Once the weather has been changed, Chansey and Blissey can both safely avoid a 2HKO from Choice Specs Reshiram and stall it out. Ho-Oh and Rock Arceus under sand can also defeat Reshiram handily with conditions their way, but Ho-Oh's Stealth Rock weakness and Rock Arceus's susceptibility to Focus Blast mean that they are not strict counters. Tank Tyranitar can weather both Blue Flare and Draco Meteor, but falls to Focus Blast.</p>

<p>Palkia, Kyurem-W, Terrakion, Latias, and Choice Scarf Kyogre can all revenge kill Choice Specs and offensive Reshiram, but it's hard to get them in. Flame Charge Reshiram can still be taken down by faster Choice Scarf Pokemon, namely Kyurem-W, Terrakion, and Palkia. However, one will often struggle to deal offensively with an offensive Reshiram that uses Tailwind on the switch. Reshiram's perfect two-move coverage means that it can almost always hit viable switch-ins to one move for enormous damage. However, it's rather slow, so if one can get something in that can hurt it, it's pretty easy to force Reshiram out.</p>

<p>Finally, Reshiram is quite susceptible to residual damage. Sandstorm, Life Orb recoil, and entry hazards all lower its life expectancy considerably. Exploit its weakness to hazards, and Reshiram will fall quickly. Conversely, it's recommended that if Reshiram is on the opponent's team, try to keep hazards off your side of the field. Getting extra HP chipped away can compromise a wall's ability to continuously switch into Reshiram. Finally, Toxic poison is a viable option for dealing with Reshiram; Chansey can poison it and stall it out with Softboiled.</p>

Just saying Reshiram gets Stone Edge to reduce the threat that is Ho-oh. I'll comment more on this later but that's all I have right now. Samething with Outrage and Chansey but you already have outrage.

Reshiram needs to make use of the support moves Kyu-w in order not to be outclassed.
Tailwind is probably its best set - it can attempt to sweep or at the very least support its team.

Specs set is outclassed by Kyurem-w who has much better coverage and, when in doubt, it can simply spam ice beam and hit both Ferrothorn and Dragons without worrying about prediction.
Steel types not named Ferrothorn are seeing a decline in usage in ubers so its Fire STAB isn't as good as it used to be.

Stone edge is not worth it... terrible accuracy, no STAB, mediocre attack and Ho-oh can actually survive it if rocks aren't on the field.

Stone Edge lets it bypass Ho-oh without needing to nuke it with a Draco Meteor (aka force a switch next turn) or lock itself into Outrage. You can try HP Rock over that but I think that deals a lot less damage compared to Stone Edge to Ho-oh.

Specs set is outclassed by Kyurem-w who has much better coverage and, when in doubt, it can simply spam ice beam and hit both Ferrothorn and Dragons without worrying about prediction.
Steel types not named Ferrothorn are seeing a decline in usage in ubers so its Fire STAB isn't as good as it used to be.

Click to expand...

You realize your saying this to the mon that gets complete coverage over the whole game with its STABs right? The fine line between the two is that Reshiram needs Sun to function. The moment a Kyogre comes into it is the moment your screwed and forced to switch. Kyurem-W can work in any weather AND it just happens Ice Beam hits a lot of dragons super effectively. Otherwise its STABs provide redundant coverage. I'd hold off on putting Specs away as option just yet, besides K-white does end up with coverage issues in the end on who it wants to hit. That and Fire Dragon removing your resistance to Water-type moves sucks :(.

What happened to Furai's sunny day set :(, it was actually pretty cool because you completely lure and wall Kyogre then, at least demote it to OO... or you could keep it :P.

Roost is a good and bad move on Reshiram. It lets it heal off hazard damage its absorbed but the problem is it allows Kyogre to switch-in freely. I'd stress this a lot.

Add Arceus Water into counters too. Poppy's support set lives a Specs Draco Meteor and can Recover off the damage. CM versions have little trouble setting up in front of Specs moves too.

SubRoost is definitely one of the most threatening Reshiram out there. You can easily Substitute on a switch-in, doing two things: 1) getting up much more Entry Hazards, and 2) you don't have to rely on prediction.

I think that Tailwind should just go all-out, no need, and time, for Roost.

I think you're pushing it with the EVs for the Offensive spread. What do these 80 Atk EVs grant you? Chansey is 2HKOed after SR and Ho-Oh is OHKOed after SR by a neutral nature 4 Atk LO Reshiram. It should simply stay 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe in my opinion; you're going to be firing off Draco Meteors and Blue Flares most of the time anyway.

Sunny Day was fun, but with all of those Specially Defensive Kyogres right now.... :( A big OO mention for me, or even AC of offensive.

Honestly, not much has changed for Reshiram besides Roost and Tailwind. However, those are somewhat huge. Choice Scarf is iffy as Kyurem-W is not weather dependant and as higher Speed and SpA, so probably OO.

Arceus-Rock in sand should move up to Hard Counters; in sand Reshiram can't KO it without a crit whereas Judgment KOs after SR.

Thanks for the input, everyone! I had a complete brainfart while drafting the first version of the outline for this analysis and totally forgot about Stone Edge, my bad.

My original intent with the Tailwind set was to have it be a support-oriented set, however I realize now that it's horribly outclassed in that position and the opportunity cost that comes with choosing to use it over an offensive set with Tailwind is just too high.

I've put Furai's old Sunny Day set in OO along with Choice Scarf; while it has its merits, I don't believe it deserves its own main set due to the fact that (at least I feel, although feel free to argue with me) Tailwind has higher general utility.

Finally, I've added SubRoost to the main sets, although not being terribly experienced with the set I am unsure on the EV spread to use. A suggestion would be welcome.

I apologize for being unclear but I don't support Stone Edge getting a slash on the main set :P, rather in AC since its actually quite useless outside of hitting ho-oh (although that is HUGE (not huge enough though)).

SubRoost is definitely one of the most threatening Reshiram out there. You can easily Substitute on a switch-in, doing two things: 1) getting up much more Entry Hazards, and 2) you don't have to rely on prediction.

I think that Tailwind should just go all-out, no need, and time, for Roost.

I think you're pushing it with the EVs for the Offensive spread. What do these 80 Atk EVs grant you? Chansey is 2HKOed after SR and Ho-Oh is OHKOed after SR by a neutral nature 4 Atk LO Reshiram. It should simply stay 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe in my opinion; you're going to be firing off Draco Meteors and Blue Flares most of the time anyway.

Sunny Day was fun, but with all of those Specially Defensive Kyogres right now.... :( A big OO mention for me, or even AC of offensive.

Honestly, not much has changed for Reshiram besides Roost and Tailwind. However, those are somewhat huge. Choice Scarf is iffy as Kyurem-W is not weather dependant and as higher Speed and SpA, so probably OO.

Arceus-Rock in sand should move up to Hard Counters; in sand Reshiram can't KO it without a crit whereas Judgment KOs after SR.

Click to expand...

Personally, I think the rise of Specially Defensive Kyogre makes Sunny Day more viable these days... provided we give SolarBeam another test. Unlike ScarfOgre, SpD Kyogre can't do crap to Reshiram in the sun apart from Roar it out, and Reshiram doesn't even need to predict the Kyogre switch-in to use Sunny Day any more. Whatever happens, you will have the sun up, and you will hurt Kyogre enough to force it to go to sleep. If you have hazards up, you can just keep forcing it out and resetting its sleep counter, making it a pretty useless Kyogre.

I have noticed that many other members have provided some suggestions for the checks / counters section of Reshiram. To help speed up this progress jackm, I have compiled some information for your own benefit. Use it in any way you like to further the progress of your own analysis.

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As of the moment, there is no true counter to Reshiram with the assumption of sun beforehand.

Currently, Reshiram's perfect neutral STAB coverage makes this task impossible. Assuming it starts out with sun, its attacks are simply too powerful for any Pokemon to truly counter it.

Still, there are a few Pokemon that stand out in general for dealing with Reshiram: Sun Support Arceus-Water, Specially Defensive Kyogre (Or pretty much Kyogre in general), Chansey, Blissey, and Tank Tyranitar. Each of these Pokemon has at least one critical flaw against Reshiram that prevents them from being considered a "true counter."

Unfortunately, Timid Choice Specs Reshiram will more likely than not 2HKO Sun Support Arceus-Water with Draco Meteor after SR. However, Modest Choice Specs Reshiram cannot 2HKO Sun Support Arceus-Water with Draco Meteor after SR.

Sun Support Arceus-Water also loses to Sunny Day Reshiram should it have SolarBeam (NOTE: Currently AC on-site, SC in OP) under sun.

IMPORTANT NOTE: No matter the EV spread, Chansey will lose to a well-played Offensive Reshiram (AKA the set with Outrage) under sun after SR. Those with maximum Special Defense lose to Outrage, those with maximum Physical Defense lose to Blue Flare under sun, and those with a balance lose to Outrage.

Blissey

Think Chansey but with less bulk for taking on Blue Flare / Outrage combined with Leftovers.

It is to be noted that these calculations assume that Reshiram is in sandstorm beforehand. Otherwise, Mono-Attacker Arceus-Rock loses outright to Focus Blast, and possibly even Modest Choice Specs Draco Meteor after SR.

Although Mono-Attacker Arceus-Rock can be considered one of the best answers to Reshiram under sandstorm, it remains a mere check to Reshiram should He find Himself away from sandstorm (AKA Reshiram is under sun). It's up to you jackm to decide where to place Arceus-Rock in your analysis.

There are far more checks for Reshiram than what I have currently mentioned. Try scouring these links for a better understanding on what makes Reshiram Reshiram - useful for the rest of the checks / counters section as well as supplementing the rest of your analysis.

May the information provided act as a stepping stone towards a better and more accurate checks / counters section for your Reshiram analysis.

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Hope this helps jackm.

EDIT:

Your points Mr.lol regarding Solarbeam on Sunny Day Reshiram are in the big picture valid. It is to be noted though that all SolarBeam calculations concerning Sunny Day Reshiram were provided as a reference; I'm just highlighting possible issues that potential checks may come across. They were implemented into this post in light of shrang's comments above as well as the fact that SolarBeam is currently in AC on-site / SC from OP. Still, my post might have been a bit unclear on this matter, so it is now emphasized. Hopefully this clears things up Mr.lol.

NOTE: For those who wish to see the thought process on why SolarBeam is currently placed in AC for on-site (Not the OP), just check the Sunny Day Reshiram Analysis thread link provided above.

Actually Superimp, if I remember correctly, running Solarbeam on Sunny Day Reshiram is a bad idea since its coverage needs are already met with its double STAB combination. That and Reshiram now has to predict when it wants to use Solarbeam as an ill-timed Kyogre or Tyranitar switch-in will yield the death of the White Dragon. Do recall that Reshiram can also not use Substitute on a Sunny Day set without forgoing Solarbeam unless it wants to lose a STAB move which is half the reason to use Reshiram. Reshiram already beats Kyogre with Sunny Day since it fries it alive with Blue Flare while Surf deals a pitiful amount of damage.

Don't get me wrong your arguement with Reshiram beating Water Arceus if it has Solarbeam is very valid (it even says SUN SUPPORT (lol)). I'm just trying to say maybe it should be the second slash on the set (behind Focus Blast) or moved down to AC :P. Oh and does anyone else think roost slashed with Focus Blast might be a good idea? It increases its longevity, and Reshiram needs that for that set.

Concerning Solar Beam: sunny day is meant to be used on switches to weather starters (or if in the case of sdef kyogre you outspeed), so predicting with SolarBeam isn't neccessary unless they have two weather starters and one of them isn't Groudon.

edit: @ below: neither fire blast nor flamethrower has a mention on the specs set; blue flare is plenty and the coverage moves would prove more situationally useful

okay mention in the overview that kyurem-w doesn't directly eclipse reshiram per se, but that they perform similar jobs and kyurem-w is not weather dependent.

also the comment about ho-oh isn't really correct as ho-oh is still coming in on 50% at most when switching into stealth rock, even with regenerator. the problem is that when there's no stealth rock and ho-oh can switch out just to heal and will almost always be at full hp despite being forced out.

AC Flamethrower over Dragon Pulse in case you don't want to risk the miss on Choice Specs.

Mention teammates; don't leave AC section at all sets so simple. It's probably the most important part of each set.

When I did the revamp a while ago I opened with the fact that Reshiram does not have a counter; only extremely solid checks, which may be good this time as well to do, as no one on that list atm counters Reshiram.

Remove Lugia from C&C section, move changing the weather waaaay up as it's probably the most efficient way to beat Reshiram. Mention POISON in C&C; that alone tears Reshiram apart.

SHOOT I wish I payed attention to this earlier, because I want some bigger changes than this.

The two biggest changes I want are: a split between offensive and Flame Charge. While they are similar in some ways, they also have a different purpose. Offensive Reshiram just wants to hit stuff as hard as possible, while Flame Charge Reshiram wants to eventully sweep. I'm fine with Tailwind staying in offensive though, because Tailwind is more of a team thing, Reshiram doesn't really sweep with that.

-In the new offensive set, I honestly thing that Roost should have a spot, and not even have a slash in. In my opinion, Roost was the greatest thing Reshiram got in B2W2, and this needs to be taken adventage of! Reshiram isn't as bulky as say, Ho-Oh, but Reshiram's ability to force stuff like Ferrothorn out gives it time to Roost. So I guess the last moveslot should be Outrage / Stone Edge / Tailwind.

-For the Flame Charge set, make it Flame Charge / Blue Flare / Dragon Pulse or Draco Meteor / Draco Meteor or Outrage or Stone Edge. Talk about how if you want to go mixed, you will have to make the tough decision of "do I sweep easier with Dragon Pulse or do I want to hit stuff hard right away with Draco Meteor".

-For Subroost, mention that unlike most Reshiram sets, this actually sorta works in the rain because no other Dragon really does the Subroost thing as well as Reshiram in Ubers.

I'll mention more stuff after I get through getting some stuff done today!

Well, I'm new to this so I have a question. Considering the QC checks have already been performed, can I make the change that Theorymon is suggesting? If so, do I need to put the analysis through QC checks again?

Also, just to clarify:
The moveset for the Offensive set that you (tmon) are recommending is Roost/Blue Flare/Draco Meteor/(Outrage/Stone Edge/Tailwind), correct?

Please answer promptly, I want to get back to work as soon as possible.

<p>With the advent of BW2Although its dual STABs are notorious for being unresisted, Reshiram lost a lot of its former glory. V's reliance on weather, lack of defensive utility, and susceptibility to hazards make it a lesser player on the Ubers scene. Additionally, the advent of BW2 did Reshiram no favours; various introductions to the Uber metagame have caused it to become relatively obsolete, the most drastic of which is Kyurem-W. Kyurem-W and Reshiram are tailored to perform similar tasks, but Reshiram's dependence on the existence of sun causes it to be, in the minds of many, outclassed. In addition,Moreover, the introduction of Regenerator Ho-oh makes Reshiram's job harder even when it gets the moveslotmore miserable; if Stealth Rock isn't up, Specially Defensive Ho-oh can now switch into a Choice Specs Draco Meteor, Recover through and switch out to a resist on the second (weakened) hit, and switch out for a net gain of HP. Exacerbated by these changes, many of Reshiram's weaknesses from BW1 grow in significance. Its lack of speed, Stealth Rock weakness, and relatively small movepool all make one wonder why one wouldhit; any other move on the Choice Specs set&mdash;save for the uncommon Stone Edge&mdash;can be easily weathered by the flaming turkey. With Reshiram's many faults, one might wonder if there were even reason to consider using Reshiramit in BW2.</p>

<p>However, the transition to BW2 wasn't completely negative for Reshiram. New move tutors give Reshiramit access to two new toys, Roost and Tailwind, that enable it to step outside of its quintessential nuking role and becomake it less predictable. In addition, its Dragon- and Fire-type dual STAB enables it to hit every pokemon in the game for neutral damage; even Heatran is OHKOd by a Specs Blue Flare in the sun courtesy of Turboblaze! One may ask, "How could it OHKO Heatran with a neutral attack? Heatran's decently bulky, right?" Well, Reshiram's Special Attack stat is on par with other Uber powerhouses like Kyogre, Palkia, and Rayquaza; its power is so great, in fact, that it is one of the few Pokemon that exist that can 2HKO the entire game with the appropriate attack!of a one-trick pony. Although these changes do not propel Reshiram to the level of a top-tier threat, one would be foolish to dismiss its sheer power and lack of safe switch-ins.</p>

<p>This is Reshiram's flagship set from BW1,; carrying Choice Specs remains the most viable method by which Reshiram can distinguish itself from Kyurem-W. Between its perfect STAB combination and its sheer power, Reshiram has the ability to break through a lot of common walls; examples include Wallceus, Giratina, and Lugiapushes Reshiram's power to new heights, its sun-boosted Blue Flare can 2HKO even the specially defensive behemoth that is Chansey, with only minor residual damage; needless to say, more common walls, such as Lugia, Giratina, Groudon, and 252 HP Arceus (with the exception of the rarely seen Water Arceus), are blasted to bits by either of Reshiram's potent STABs. Because of this, Reshiram functions as an excellent wallbreaker; under sun, its power is so great that Blue Flare can OHKO Manaphy with no prior damage! That said, Choice Specs Reshiram has its fair share of flaws. A weakness to hazards severely limits Reshiram's ability to switch in and out freely, and when it gets in it's hinder. This is further compounded by its low speed. Because of this, Reshiram will usually have to either force a switch ormiddling Speed, being forced out by a multitude of faster threats. Moreover, the ubiquitous Kyogre can easily stomach a hit to get an attack offBlue Flare and dampen Reshiram's Fire-type attacks to a mere ember. Overall, though, Choice Specs Reshiram is a powerful wallbreaker that every team needs to be prepared for.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Because it has impeccable STAB coverage, Reshiram's coverage moves take less of a "I need to hit everything for neutral damage" role and more of a "What threats can I hit for super-effective damage?" role. For this reason, Focus Blast is the main coverage option for this set, as it allows Reshiram to wipe the floor with Tyranitar and land a solid hit on Arceus-Rock. Alternatively, one could run Stone Edge to get a solid hit on Ho-oh. DHowever, due to the fact that it isn't a guaranteed OHKO, however, Stone Edge isn't recommended. One could also run Flamethrower over Dragon Pulse so that one hasfor a perfectly accurate Fire STAB; this would enable Reshiram to eliminate threats more reliably, but. However, Dragon Pulse's overall utility islack of a Special Attack drop generally greater than thatproves itself to be more useful than the extra accuracy of Flamethrower.</p>

<p>Weather is unarguably the most important factor in determining Reshiram's success; a. As such, Groudon is a mandatory as a partner. Without control over weather, Reshiram will be rendered ineffective against a large portion of teams due to the ubiquity of rain. Groudon's access to Stealth Rock compounds its usefulness; Choice Specs Reshiram greatly appreciates the presence of entry hazards on the opponent's field because they aid it in breaking through threats like Ho-oh, Kyogre, and Arceus-Rock. In addition, Reshiram's low speed means that it will often struggle without paralysis support. Partners including Groudon, Ferrothorn, and Dialga can provide this helpful support as well as providing hazards for Reshiramcommon switch-ins Ho-oh&mdash;which can no longer switch into Reshiram at 50%&mdash;, Kyogre, and Arceus-Rock. Finally, Choice Specs Reshiram's wall-shattering power makes cleaners like, such as Darkrai, Mewtwo, and Choice Scarf Palkia, great partners due to their ability to easily sweep through a weakened team.</p>

<p>While a Choice Specs set allows Reshiram to destroy stall, this set allows for more flexibility and greater staying power in exchange for a small amount of powerdrop in damage output. With its new ability to switch attacks, Reshiram poses a more significant threat to slow, extremely bulky teams. Against more offensive teams, though, Reshiram is better off running another se, which rely on pivoting to deal with it. This set thrives on forced switches, and against a hyper offense team Reshiram's bulk often won't be enough; it's exceedingly susceptible to getting revenge killed unless it runs Tailwind or Flame Charge.</p>

<p>Due to Reshiram's impeccable two-move coverage, an all-out offensive set is redundant; unfortunately, before BW2 Reshiram lacked the movepool to run an effective 3-attack+support move set. BW2 gave Reshiram exactly what it wanted: Roost. With reliable recovery, Reshiram can capitalize on the switches that it causes to get rid of hazard and Life Orb damage. This allows this set to have much more staying power than the others, and to switch in more freely.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>This set's last moveslot is mainly filler, but the choice that fills it can define the set's potential. Outrage is the primary option, 2HKOing Chansey after Stealth Rock and, 2HKOing Ho-oh. It also allows Reshiram to maintain pressure on the opponent after usingOh, and doing significant damage to Kyogre should Reshiram have already used Draco Meteor. When running Outrage, maximum speed is optimum; due to the prevalence of powerful attacksAlternatively, Stone Edge is usable to OHKO Ho-Oh, but Outrage is still preferable due to its ability to threaten Chansey and Kyogre. The choice of nature is the eternal Speed vs power debate, Reshiram needs to outspeed as much as possible. Alternatively, Stone Edge is usable to OHKO Ho-oh, but Outrage is still preferable due to its ability to threaten Chanseyappreciates both of these qualities, but ultimately the choice is personal preference&mdash;needless to say, a Modest or a Timid nature should be used with Tailwind.</p>

<p>If one does not require a tertiary attacking move, Tailwind is also viable. Running Tailwind turns Reshiram into a momentum snatcher for its team, setting up on a forced switch and potentially sweeping. When running Tailwind, a +speed nature isn't necessary; Mild Reshiram hits 558 Although Modest Reshiram hits 558 Speed&mdash;which easily outspeeds most relevant threats&mdash;after a Tailwind, which is more than enough to outspeed all relevant threats. Alternatively, youa Timid nature is still usable, as there will be times when Reshiram will not have time to use Tailwind. If maximum speed is of no concern, one could run an alternative EV spread of 80 Atk / 252 SAtk / 176 Spe, which would get you just past Scarf Terrakion in terms of speed while maximizing your firepower.allows Reshiram to outspeed the fastest most commonly seen Ubers Choice Scarf user, Terrakion. However, 4 Def / 252 SAtk / 252 Spe is generally better, because when Tailwind isn't in effect the loss in speed is noticeable. In general, Reshiram is slow to begin with; keep this in mind when choosing what move to run in this slot. Running Tailwind also allows Reshiram to support its team; common teammates like Groudon and Giratina-O enjoy the boost immensely. This boost can be the difference between a successful sweep on your part and a failed one, which could potentially be the difference between a win and a loss.<powerful offensive wallbreakers, such as Rayquaza, mixed Zekrom, four attacks Mewtwo, and Lustrous Palkia, all become far more threatening with their speed doubled.</p>

<p>As will always be the case with Reshiram, sun support is mandatory for this set. Without sun supporit, Blue Flare lacks the jaw-dropping strength that allowswill often be gimped by rain. Despite having Roost, Reshiram to dismantle threats. This is especially important for this set, I might add, because it thrives on forced switches. You'll also want a spinner to keep hazards off the field; while this set carries Roost, the main purpose is to attack, not recoverstill appreciates Rapid Spin support, as the more turns spent recovering, the less turns are spent attacking. Entry hazards on the opponent's field are, as always, important. They allow Reshiram to get many of the KOs that it would otherwise miss. Finally, this set also appreciates not only the aforementioned wallbreakers, but a fast cleaner that can take advantage of the holes that Reshiram makes in teams; though it hits hard, this set isn't going to be sweeping.</p>

<p>Yet another exploitation of Reshiram's natural power and coverage, this set aims to sweep unprepared teams through the use of Flame Charge; frail offensive teams often are simply unable to handle a Reshiram at +1. After a Flame charge, Reshiram hits 459 speed; this allows it to outspeed everything unboosted Pokemon that's semicommon in Ubers bar Deoxys-Sall relevant non-Choice Scarf Ubers threats, bar Deoxys-S&mdash;which does not commonly carry moves which can impede Reshiram&mdash;and users of Chlorophyll or Swift Swim. In addition, Flame Charge's chip damage can often makes a difference; or force a favorable situation. Under sun, Arceus-Rock can be KOed by the combination of Flame Charge and Draco Meteor after Stealth Rock. This is what makes Reshiram unique from other boosting sweepers like Rayquaza and Mewtwo. Even on the turn that it's boosting up, it still poses a threat; this causes a switch to be forced, resulting in a turn of cease-fire; Ferrothorn or Forretress in sunlight are forced to switch, and Reshiram gets the Speed boost either way.</p>

<p>However, sometimes Reshiram is still too slow at +1. Even after a Flame Charge, you run the risk of beingcommon Choice Scarf users, such as Terrakion and Palkia, can still outspeed and revenge killed by Scarf Terrakion, Kyurem-W, and Palkia, and other powerhouse scarfers. This is where Flame Charge Reshiram falls short; due to the lack of boosting that Flame Charge provides, it often lacks the firepower to finish the job. Very rarely will Reshiram 6-0 an opposing team, purely because it lacks the immediate power and speed that it needs +1 Reshiram; despite this, Genesect, another common Choice Scarf user, while still outspeeding Reshiram, is unable to revenge kill it without sacrificing itself with Explosion.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>There are two main variants of Flame Charge Reshiram: Mixed and Smixed and special. If you're goingone decides to go mixed (i.e. use Outrage or Stone Edge in the last slot), then you have to choose whether you want to runone of Draco Meteor or Dragon Pulse or Draco Meteor in the third slothas to be forgone. Draco Meteor is viable for its immediate power; the ability to eliminate a check with a nuke can be invaluable to set up a future sweep. However, its side effect means that you get one shot before you're setup bait. If you're goinghas much higher power, allowing it to take out Choice Scarf Kyogre more easily, but its Special Attack drop is somewhat counter-intuitive with the sweeping&mdash;as opposed to nuking&mdash;nature of this set. If one chooses to run Draco Meteor, it's recommended that you run Outrage is run in the last slot so you can continue to pose a threat at -2. On the other hand, Dragon Pulse is commendable for its reliability. Being able to have a solid, non-varyingto have a moderately powerful Dragon-type STAB in the Ubers metagame is enormously helpful, and Reshiram is no exception. After its checks are gone, Reshiram can easily sweep at +1 with the combination of Blue Flare and Dragon Pulse. However, Dragon Pulse lacks immediate power; as such, one should probably run Stone Edge to swiftly OHKO Ho-oh, which otherwise walls this set to hell and backon hand. Stone Edge makes another appearance, and is, again, solely for taking Ho-Oh in a single hit, as it would otherwise be a pest, forcing Reshiram into Outrage (which does not even OHKO unless Stealth Rock is present).</p>

<p>Alternatively, one could just run a special Flame Charge variant and get the best of both worlds. Having access to Dragon Pulse and Draco Meteor lets Reshiram get rid of some of its own checks before sweeping. While this is a viable strategy, it suffers from the fundamental flaw that almost all special attackers encounter: Chansey. Even under sun, Blue Flare can't 2HKO after Stealth Rock, which means Chansey can come in and PP or Toxic stall Reshiram out. Moreover, Ho-Oh is only threatened by Draco Meteor after Stealth Rock, making it a fine check. In addition to its problems with Chansey, purely special Flame Charge Reshiram is complete setup bait after it uses Draco Meteor; -2 Blue Flare doesn't even OHKO Specs Kyurem-W under sun!.</p>

</p>Flame Charge is pretty much the most high-maintenance Reshiram set there is. Due to the fact that youReshiram need to be able to OHKO/2HKO as much as possible when sweeping, sun support is, as always, mandatory. Entry hazards need to be up on the opponent field as well, for the same reason. Because this set lacks as much power as some others, it needs all the help it can get; carrying a reliable spiker likeSpikes user, such as Forretress, will work wonders. On the topic of Forretress, Rapid Spin support is helpful as well; however, it's not as important as with the Choice Specs set due to the fact that the aim of this set is to sweep. That said, it is important to keep the residual damage down on Reshiram, as you may have to tank a hit to get a Flame Charge innot only does Flame Charge expose Reshiram for a turn, but should its HP get too low, it is liable to be sniped by the myriad of priority in Ubers. For the same reason, try to bring Reshiram in off of a KO or a slow U-Turn/Volt Switch to keep the extra damage down. Finally, a wallbreaker like, such as Kyurem-W or Mewtwo, will help to soften up Reshiram's checks so it can sweep; this will especially help get Reshiram past Ho-oh and Chansey, two of its most reliable checks.</p>

<p>On such an offensively-leaning pokemon, one might wonder why a SubRoost set is even considered. SubRoost Reshiram is a bit of a strange notion, but in practice it works. Because Reshiram only needs two moveslots to get perfect neutral coverage, it can run SubRoost alongside its attacking moves and not lose out on any major threats. Reshiram can set up Substitutes on a multitude of offensive Pokemon, most notable Ferrothorn and Forretress, with no fear of having its Substitute broken. With Substitute, Reshiram no longer has to rely on predicting the switch-in; with a subSubstitute up, the opponent has to stand and fight regardless of how fast or strong they are. Because of this, SubRoost Reshiram makes a great lure to weaken its checks; use Substitute on the switch, attack while they break the sub, and switch out to a spongepivot. Roost allows Reshiram to recover HP lost from Substitute, hazards, and other miscellaneous damage. With the combination of Substitute and Roost, Reshiram becomes an efficient weapon against bulky teams; even with Leftovers, its attacks are fearsomely powerful.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The choice between Draco Meteor and Dragon Pulse is one of power vs. reliabililty. With Draco Meteor, Reshiram has an enormous amount of immediate power, consistently being able to OHKO Kyurem-W at -2 after Stealth Rock and 2HKO offensive Dialga. However, youReshiram become a giant, flaming, sitting duck after using it due to the stat drop. On the other hand, Dragon Pulse is significantly weaker but is continuously sufficient. Due to its static nature, Dragon Pulse allows one to put the opponent in a checkmate situation; with a Substitute up, you can attack whatever is out on the field with the appropriate move. If they switch, you get free chipcannot be played around like Draco Meteor, due to its consistent damage and Leftovers recovery. If they break your sub, you (hopefully) OHKO them with a super-effective attack.</p>

<p>Because this set forces a lot of switches, hazards are mandatory to its success. SubRoost Reshiram excels at wearing down stallbalanced teams that are simply unable to juggle coping with the onslaught of attacks that Reshiram throws at it and breaking Reshiram's Substitutes; as such, cleaners that can sweep crippled opponents are welcome partners. Also, SubRoost Reshiram is fairly slow. Because of this, it will struggle against offensive teams unless it has paralysis support. Against stall teams, conversely, Toxic support is helpful as it allows Reshiram to stall out threats that can't handle the poison with the combination of Substitute and Roost.</p>

<p>This set is unique for being Reshiram's only set that can accomplish much of its intended goal under rain. As such, while sun support is highly recco</p>

<p>This set is unique for being Reshiram's only set that can accomplish much of its intended goal under rain. As such, while sun support is highly recommended, it is not required; if running this set without Groudon as a partner, one should run Dragon Pulse in the last slot. The trio of Substitute, Roost, and Dragon Pulse allow Reshiram to out-tanklast a surprising amount of foes. Because this set does not rely on sheer force to get past opponents, Leftovers is recommended to aid this tanking; however,offset Substitute's HP cost. Life Orb is a feasible option to increase Reshiram's damage output. Life Orb's recoil is detrimental to this set's main focus, though, so Leftovers is the better choice of the two. Also, one could run an alternative EV spread of 168 HP / 252 SAtk / 88 Spe. This spread allows Reshiram to outspeed SubShuffler Giratina-O while maximizing SAtk and HP. The speed is sorely missed, however, when Reshiram is going up against other offensive pokemon in and around the base 90 speed tier; however, its recoil is not appreciated in conjunction with Substitute.</p>

<p>While other Reshiram sets aim to break teams apart after their checks are gone, Sunny Day Reshiram is intended to lure some of those same checks in and eliminate them. By using Sunny Day, Reshiram can beat Tyranitar and Kyogre, although variants that outspeed it, such as Choice Scarf, one needs to predict the switch to Tyranitar to beat it. On-in. However, in the case of Specially Defensive Kyogre, however, Reshiram doesn't even need to predict,the switch-in because it'll outspeed anyways; under sun, SDef Kyogre deals a pitiful 15.24-18.18% with Scald while Draco Meteor deals a large amount of damage. However, Reshiram will not be able to KO the same Kyogre reliably unless it is using SolarBeam. Sunny Day Reshiram plays a little more conservatively than the other sets; while they capitalize on Reshiram's power and coverage to force switches, this set focuses on eliminating its counters. Because of this, one will have to adjust their use of Reshiram accordingly. Sunny Day Reshiram has to be played carefully, as it lacks the immediate power, speed, or safety that the other sets have.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>In addition to its upfront purpose, Sunny Day Reshiram also fulfills a hidden task: weather backup. If yourone's weather inducer (presumably Groudon) gets eliminated, youris KOed, the opponent will automatically start playing more recklessly with theirs, because they know that if if goes down you don't have another inducer to change the weather. But wait! Once their inducer faints, Sunny Day Reshiram swoops in, creating sun for 5 turns and permanently eradicating the adverse weather. The illusion of not having a second inducer can be augmented by bluffing a choice item on Reshiram through the use of Charcoal; however, the loss in power is noticeable on Fire-type moves and glaring on everything else.</p>

<p>There are a couple of other options that can be run in place of Focus Blast, namely Solarbeam and Roost. Solarbeam is usable to hit Kyogre harder than Draco Meteor and to get a more accurate hit on Tyranitar and Arceus-Rock; however, it's risky if your opponent is running double weather, it can't OHKO Tyranitar, and it can't OHKO Kyogre even with Stealth Rock and 3 layers of Spikes. On the other hand, but its Fire-type STAB.</p>

<p>Roost is usable for the same reasons as the offensive set. Reshiram does have a bit of bulk to its name (+1 U-turn from Max Attack Genesect deals 23.75 -– 28.15%), and with Roost it could act as a bulky weather pivot. That said, running Roost requires youReshiram to forgo yourits coverage move, which means that it'll be tough to take down Tyranitar even under sun.</p>

<p>Sunny Day Reshiram isn't meant to be a weather inducer for the team; rather, it is counter-inducer. Thus, Groudon is mandatory as a partner as usual. Plenty of hazards help Reshiram get past Kyogre and Tyranitar, as well as its old foes. It should be noted that Reshiram is one of the few Pokemon that can OHKO Forretress through Sturdy; this lowers the need for a spinblocker, although the support is always welcome. Due to Sunny Day Reshiram's ability to increase one's control over weather, running sun-dependent Pokemon like, such as Blaziken and Ho-Oh, is a good idea with this set; ideally, one would run another Reshiram!

[OTHER OPTIONS.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>While Reshiram has other possible sets, it's best that one sticks with one of the main onestrodden path. Reshiram can run a Choice Scarf set (similar to its Scarf set from BW1), but it's horrib is generally outclassed by Kyurem-W because of its weather dependence, lack of super-effective coverage, and lower speed&mdash;although, sun-boosted Blue Flares are still extremely threatening. A lure set with Expert Belt is also feasible, but Reshiram misses the buffs that Life Orb or Leftovers could bring. I's STABs provide neutral, not super effective, coverage. However, if one was to run such a set, however, a moveset of Draco Meteor/, Blue Flare/, Focus Blast/, and Stone Edge maximizesbest deals with Reshiram's ability to take downmost prominent checks.</p>

<p>Even farther down the factory reject line, you getone gets to some even stranger possibilities. Though it's highly unrecommended, Reshiram can run a dual screens set with Roost/Reflect/, Reflect, Light Screen/, and Draco Meteor. While it works in theory, the opportunity cost is high, and it's heavily outclassed in practice by Deoxys-S and Latios due to their higher speeds. Finally, a physical mix set consisting of Flame Charge/Outrage/Stone Edge/Blue Flare is feasible, but lack of a powerful Fire-type STAB move holds it back (even under sun, Flame Charge is weaker than Stone Edge)

[CHECKS AND COUNTERS]

<p>"WhatSpeed and better utility moves.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Reshiram counters Reshiram?" is a loaded question. In asking that, you imply that something counters it; the definition of a counter is something that can switch in, avoid the 2HKO, and respond. Reshiram can 2HKO the entire game under sun. Something doesn't add up. As it turns out, Reshiram has no counters, just extremely solid checks; the closest thing to a counter that exists for Reshiram is 252/252+ Chansey, but eare few and far between, in fact, there are only two: specially defensive Water Arceus and Kyogre&mdash; and even these are shaky when Stealth Rock is on the field. Even Chansey can't switch in completely safely, for fear of being 2HKOd by Blue Flare after Stealth Rock. If you want to counter it, you've got to get rid of the sun; this is why carrying an opposing inducer is so important.However, Reshiram loses a lot of its menace when it doesn't have sun, and even more is lost when it's raining. Once you've changed the weather has been changed, Chansey and Blissey can both safely avoid a 2HKO from Choice Specs Reshiram and stall it out. Specially Defensive Ho-oHo-Oh and Arceus-Rock under sand can also defeat Reshiram handily with conditions their way, but their unfortunate stipulatons (Ho-Oh's Stealth Rock off the field and sand up, respectively) are often problematic. In terms of how to get rid of the sun, you have two viable options: Tyranitar and Kyogre. Both can switch into Blue Flare, but they just aren't bulky enough to take repeated Specs-boosted Draco Meteors. Tyranitar is OHKOd by Focus Blast as well. SDef Kyogre is probably your best bet, being able to switch into Draco Meteor, Rest, and act from there. Arceus-Water works similarly to Kyogre, but it doesn't induce Rain. SDef Kyogre and Tyranitar are both massacred by the Sunny Day set, which segways nicely into my next point.</p>

<p>So you've got neutral weather, and your Chansey is raring to go. Think you're safe from the onslaught? Think again. The second half of what makes Reshiram so deadly is its diversity in moveset. You switch in your Chansey on some light hazards, ready to sponge a weak Focus Blast. Bang, Flame Charge. Bang, Outrage. Reshiram's unpredictability makes it hard to handle, because the revenge killers that can switch in on Flame Charge get obliterated by Specs, and the walls that can switch in on Specs get set up on by Flame Charge. That said, once you identify which variant it is Reshiram becomes significantly more predictableweakness and Arceus-Rock's susceptibility to Focus Blast mean that they are not strict counters. Tank Tyranitar can weather both Blue Flare and Draco Meteor, but falls to Focus Blast.</p>

<p>Palkia, Kyurem-W, Terrakion, Latias, and Choice Scarf Kyogre can all revenge kill Choice Specs and Offensive Reshiram, but it's hard to get them in. Flame Charge Reshiram can still be taken down by Scarf Kyurem-W, Scarf Terrakion, and Scarf Palkia. However, if you're up against an Offensive Reshiram that uses Tailwinded on the switch, you'd better hope you can predict wellone will often struggle to deal with it offensively. Reshiram's perfect coverage between two moves means that it can almost always hit one move's viable switch-ins for enormous damage with the other move. That said, it's rather slow; if youone can get something in that can hurt it, it's pretty easy to force Reshiram out.</p>

<p>Finally, Reshiram is quite susceptible to residual damage. Sandstorm, Life Orb recoil, and entry hazards all lower its life expectancy considerably. With Stealth Rock up, Reshiram has 3 legitimate switch-ins, MAX. Exploit its weakness to hazards, and Reshiram will fall quickly. Conversely, it's recommended that if you see Reshiram in yours on the opponent's team, you try to keep hazards off yourthe field. Getting extra HP chipped away can compromise a wall's ability to continuously switch into Reshiram. Finally, tToxic poison is a viable option for dealing with Reshiram; Chansey can poison it and stall it out with Softboiled.</p>

this was actually pretty well written, although a tad colloquial and inconsistent at times (if you use the formal 'one' then stick with it throughout). also this was fucking long, i cut out like 700 words.

a lot of the changes i made were more to do with QC, as some of the portrayals were slightly off the mark, such as Reshiram having no counters.

[gp]1/2[/gp] if there are considerable mistakes to be found (as i rewrote a lot of it) this might warrant three gp checks

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[Overview]

<p>Although its dual STABs are notorious for being unresisted, Reshiram's reliance on weather, lack of defensive utility, and susceptibility to hazards make it a lesser player on the Ubers scene. Additionally, the advent of BW2 did Reshiram no favours; various introductions to the Uber metagame have caused it to become relatively obsolete, the most drastic of which is Kyurem-W. Kyurem-W and Reshiram are tailored to perform similar tasks, but Reshiram's dependence on sun causes it to be, in the minds of many, outclassed. Moreover, the introduction of Regenerator Ho-oh makes Reshiram even more miserable; if Stealth Rock isn't up, Ho-oh can now switch into a Choice Specs Draco Meteor and switch out to a resist on the second hit; any other move on the Choice Specs set&mdash;save for the uncommon Stone Edge&mdash;can be easily weathered by the flaming turkey. With Reshiram's many faults, one might wonder if there were even reason to consider using it in BW2.</p>

<p>However, the transition to BW2 wasn't completely negative for Reshiram. New move tutors give it access to two new toys, Roost and Tailwind, that enable it to step outside of its quintessential nuking role and make it less of a one-trick pony. Although these changes do not propel Reshiram to the level of a top-tier threat, one would be foolish to dismiss its sheer power and lack of safe switch-ins.</p>

<p>This is Reshiram's flagship set from BW1; carrying Choice Specs pushes Reshiram's power to new heights, its sun-boosted Blue Flare can 2HKO even the specially defensive behemoth that is Chansey, with only minor residual damage; needless to say, more common walls, such as Lugia, Giratina, Groudon, and 252 HP Arceus (with the exception of the rarely seen Water Arceus), are blasted to bits by either of Reshiram's potent STABs. Because of this, Reshiram functions as an excellent wallbreaker; under sun, its power is so great that Blue Flare can OHKO Manaphy with no prior damage! That said, Choice Specs Reshiram has its fair share of flaws. A weakness to hazards severely limits Reshiram's ability to switch in and out freely. This is further compounded by its middling Speed, being forced out by a multitude of faster threats. Moreover, the ubiquitous Kyogre can easily stomach a Blue Flare and dampen Reshiram's Fire-type attacks to a mere ember. Overall, though, Choice Specs Reshiram is a powerful wallbreaker that every team needs to be prepared for.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Because it has impeccable STAB coverage, Reshiram's coverage moves take less of a "I need to hit everything for neutral damage" role and more of a "What threats can I hit for super-effective damage?" role. For this reason, Focus Blast is the main coverage option for this set, as it allows Reshiram to wipe the floor with Tyranitar and land a solid hit on Arceus-Rock. Alternatively, one could run Stone Edge to get a solid hit on Ho-oh. However, due to the fact that it isn't a guaranteed OHKO, Stone Edge isn't recommended. One could also run Flamethrower over Dragon Pulse for a perfectly accurate Fire STAB. However, Dragon Pulse's lack of a Special Attack drop generally proves itself to be more useful than the extra accuracy of Flamethrower.</p>

<p>Weather is unarguably the most important factor in determining Reshiram's success. As such, Groudon is a mandatory partner. Without control over weather, Reshiram will be rendered ineffective against a large portion of teams due to the ubiquity of rain. Groudon's access to Stealth Rock compounds its usefulness; Choice Specs Reshiram greatly appreciates the presence of entry hazards on the opponent's field because they aid it in breaking through common switch-ins Ho-oh&mdash;which can no longer switch into Reshiram at 50%&mdash;, Kyogre, and Arceus-Rock. Finally, Choice Specs Reshiram's wall-shattering power makes cleaners, such as Darkrai, Mewtwo, and Choice Scarf Palkia, great partners due to their ability to easily sweep through a weakened team.</p>

<p>While a Choice Specs set allows Reshiram to destroy stall, this set allows for more flexibility and greater staying power in exchange for a drop in damage output. With its new ability to switch attacks, Reshiram poses a more significant threat to slow, bulky teams, which rely on pivoting to deal with it. This set thrives on forced switches, and against a hyper offense team Reshiram's bulk often won't be enough; it's exceedingly susceptible to getting revenge killed unless it runs Tailwind or Flame Charge.</p>

<p>Due to Reshiram's impeccable two-move coverage, an all-out offensive set is redundant; unfortunately, before BW2 Reshiram lacked the movepool to run an effective 3-attack+support move set. BW2 gave Reshiram exactly what it wanted: Roost. With reliable recovery, Reshiram can capitalize on the switches that it causes to get rid of hazard and Life Orb damage.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>This set's last moveslot is mainly filler, but the choice that fills it can define the set's potential. Outrage is the primary option, 2HKOing Chansey after Stealth Rock, 2HKOing Ho-Oh, and doing significant damage to Kyogre should Reshiram have already used Draco Meteor. Alternatively, Stone Edge is usable to OHKO Ho-Oh, but Outrage is still preferable due to its ability to threaten Chansey and Kyogre. The choice of nature is the eternal Speed vs power debate, Reshiram appreciates both of these qualities, but ultimately the choice is personal preference&mdash;needless to say, a Modest or a Timid nature should be used with Tailwind.</p>

<p>If one does not require a tertiary attacking move, Tailwind is also viable. Running Tailwind turns Reshiram into a momentum snatcher for its team, setting up on a forced switch and potentially sweeping. Although Modest Reshiram hits 558 Speed&mdash;which easily outspeeds most relevant threats&mdash;after a Tailwind, a Timid nature is still usable, as there will be times when Reshiram will not have time to use Tailwind. If maximum speed is of no concern, one could run an alternative EV spread of 80 Atk / 252 SAtk / 176 Spe, which allows Reshiram to outspeed the fastest most commonly seen Ubers Choice Scarf user, Terrakion. However, 4 Def / 252 SAtk / 252 Spe is generally better, because when Tailwind isn't in effect the loss in speed is noticeable. Running Tailwind also allows Reshiram to support its team; powerful offensive wallbreakers, such as Rayquaza, mixed Zekrom, four attacks Mewtwo, and Lustrous Palkia, all become far more threatening with their speed doubled.</p>

<p>As will always be the case with Reshiram, sun support is mandatory for this set. Without it, Blue Flare will often be gimped by rain. Despite having Roost, Reshiram still appreciates Rapid Spin support, as the more turns spent recovering, the less turns are spent attacking. Entry hazards on the opponent's field are, as always, important. They allow Reshiram to get many of the KOs that it would otherwise miss. Finally, this set also appreciates not only the aforementioned wallbreakers, but a fast cleaner that can take advantage of the holes that Reshiram makes in teams.</p>

<p>Yet another exploitation of Reshiram's natural power and coverage, this set aims to sweep unprepared teams through the use of Flame Charge; frail offensive teams often are simply unable to handle a Reshiram at +1. After a Flame charge, Reshiram hits 459 speed; this allows it to outspeed all relevant non-Choice Scarf Ubers threats, bar Deoxys-S&mdash;which does not commonly carry moves which can impede Reshiram&mdash;and users of Chlorophyll or Swift Swim. In addition, Flame Charge's chip damage can often make a difference or force a favorable situation. Under sun, Arceus-Rock can be KOed by the combination of Flame Charge and Draco Meteor after Stealth Rock; Ferrothorn or Forretress in sunlight are forced to switch, and Reshiram gets the Speed boost either way.</p>

<p>However, common Choice Scarf users, such as Terrakion and Palkia, can still outspeed and revenge kill +1 Reshiram; despite this, Genesect, another common Choice Scarf user, while still outspeeding Reshiram, is unable to revenge kill it without sacrificing itself with Explosion.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>There are two main variants of Flame Charge Reshiram: mixed and special. If one decides to go mixed (i.e. use Outrage or Stone Edge in the last slot), then one of Draco Meteor or Dragon Pulse has to be forgone. Draco Meteor has much higher power, allowing it to take out Choice Scarf Kyogre more easily, but its Special Attack drop is somewhat counter-intuitive with the sweeping&mdash;as opposed to nuking&mdash;nature of this set. If one chooses to run Draco Meteor, it's recommended that Outrage is run in the last slot to have a moderately powerful Dragon-type STAB on hand. Stone Edge makes another appearance, and is, again, solely for taking Ho-Oh in a single hit, as it would otherwise be a pest, forcing Reshiram into Outrage (which does not even OHKO unless Stealth Rock is present).</p>

<p>Alternatively, one could just run a special Flame Charge variant and get the best of both worlds. Having access to Dragon Pulse and Draco Meteor lets Reshiram get rid of some of its own checks before sweeping. While this is a viable strategy, it suffers from the fundamental flaw that almost all special attackers encounter: Chansey. Even under sun, Blue Flare can't 2HKO after Stealth Rock, which means Chansey can come in and PP or Toxic stall Reshiram out. Moreover, Ho-Oh is only threatened by Draco Meteor after Stealth Rock, making it a fine check. In addition to its problems with Chansey, purely special Flame Charge Reshiram is complete setup bait after it uses Draco Meteor.</p>

<p>Flame Charge is pretty much the most high-maintenance Reshiram set there is. Due to the fact that Reshiram need to be able to OHKO/2HKO as much as possible when sweeping, sun support is, as always, mandatory. Entry hazards need to be up on the opponent field as well, for the same reason. Because this set lacks as much power as some others, it needs all the help it can get; carrying a reliable Spikes user, such as Forretress, will work wonders. On the topic of Forretress, Rapid Spin support is helpful as well; however, it's not as important as with the Choice Specs set due to the fact that the aim of this set is to sweep. That said, it is important to keep the residual damage down on Reshiram, as not only does Flame Charge expose Reshiram for a turn, but should its HP get too low, it is liable to be sniped by the myriad of priority in Ubers. For the same reason, try to bring Reshiram in off of a KO or a slow U-Turn/Volt Switch to keep the extra damage down. Finally, a wallbreaker, such as Kyurem-W or Mewtwo, will help to soften up Reshiram's checks so it can sweep; this will especially help get Reshiram past Ho-oh and Chansey, two of its most reliable checks.</p>

<p>On such an offensively-leaning pokemon, one might wonder why a SubRoost set is even considered. SubRoost Reshiram is a bit of a strange notion, but in practice it works. Because Reshiram only needs two moveslots to get perfect neutral coverage, it can run SubRoost alongside its attacking moves and not lose out on any major threats. Reshiram can set up Substitutes on a multitude of offensive Pokemon, most notable Ferrothorn and Forretress, with no fear of having its Substitute broken. With Substitute, Reshiram no longer has to rely on predicting the switch-in; with a Substitute up, the opponent has to stand and fight regardless of how fast or strong they are. Because of this, SubRoost Reshiram makes a great lure to weaken its checks; use Substitute on the switch, attack while they break the sub, and switch out to a pivot. Roost allows Reshiram to recover HP lost from Substitute, hazards, and other miscellaneous damage. With the combination of Substitute and Roost, Reshiram becomes an efficient weapon against bulky teams; even with Leftovers, its attacks are fearsomely powerful.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The choice between Draco Meteor and Dragon Pulse is one of power vs. reliability. With Draco Meteor, Reshiram has an enormous amount of immediate power, consistently being able to OHKO Kyurem-W at -2 after Stealth Rock and 2HKO offensive Dialga. However, Reshiram become a giant, flaming, sitting duck after using it due to the stat drop. On the other hand, Dragon Pulse is significantly weaker but cannot be played around like Draco Meteor, due to its consistent damage.</p>

<p>Because this set forces a lot of switches, hazards are mandatory to its success. SubRoost Reshiram excels at wearing down balanced teams that are simply unable to juggle coping with the onslaught of attacks that Reshiram throws at it and breaking Reshiram's Substitutes; as such, cleaners that can sweep crippled opponents are welcome partners. Also, SubRoost Reshiram is fairly slow. Because of this, it will struggle against offensive teams unless it has paralysis support.</p>

<p>This set is unique for being Reshiram's only set that can accomplish much of its intended goal under rain. As such, while sun support is highly recommended, it is not required; if running this set without Groudon as a partner, one should run Dragon Pulse in the last slot. The trio of Substitute, Roost, and Dragon Pulse allow Reshiram to out-last a surprising amount of foes. Because this set does not rely on sheer force to get past opponents, Leftovers is recommended to offset Substitute's HP cost. Life Orb is a feasible option to increase Reshiram's damage output; however, its recoil is not appreciated in conjunction with Substitute.</p>

<p>While other Reshiram sets aim to break teams apart after their checks are gone, Sunny Day Reshiram is intended to lure some of those same checks in and eliminate them. By using Sunny Day, Reshiram can beat Kyogre, although variants that outspeed it, such as Choice Scarf, one needs to predict the switch-in. However, in the case of Specially Defensive Kyogre, Reshiram doesn't even need to predict, as it outspeeds; under sun, Kyogre deals a pitiful 15.24-18.18% with Scald. However, Reshiram will not be able to KO the same Kyogre reliably unless it is using SolarBeam. Sunny Day Reshiram plays a little more conservatively than the other sets; while they capitalize on Reshiram's power and coverage to force switches, this set focuses on eliminating its counters. Because of this, one will have to adjust their use of Reshiram accordingly. Sunny Day Reshiram has to be played carefully, as it lacks the immediate power, speed, or safety that the other sets have.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>In addition to its upfront purpose, Sunny Day Reshiram also fulfills a hidden task: weather backup. If one's weather inducer (presumably Groudon) is KOed, the opponent will automatically start playing more recklessly with theirs. Once their inducer faints, Sunny Day Reshiram swoops in, creating sun for 5 turns and permanently eradicating the adverse weather. The illusion of not having a second inducer can be augmented by bluffing a choice item on Reshiram through the use of Charcoal; however, the loss in power is glaring on everything but its Fire-type STAB.</p>

<p>Roost is usable for the same reasons as the offensive set. Reshiram does have a bit of bulk to its name (+1 U-turn from Max Attack Genesect deals 23.75 – 28.15%), and with Roost it could act as a bulky weather pivot. That said, running Roost requires Reshiram to forgo its coverage move, which means that it'll be tough to take down Tyranitar even under sun.</p>

<p>Sunny Day Reshiram isn't meant to be a weather inducer for the team; rather, it is counter-inducer. Thus, Groudon is mandatory as a partner as usual. Plenty of hazards help Reshiram get past Kyogre and Tyranitar, as well as its old foes. Due to Sunny Day Reshiram's ability to increase one's control over weather, running sun-dependent Pokemon, such as Blaziken and Ho-Oh, is a good idea with this set.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>While Reshiram has other possible sets, it's best that one sticks to the trodden path. Reshiram can run a Choice Scarf set (similar to its Scarf set from BW1), but it is generally outclassed by Kyurem-W because of its weather dependence, lack of super-effective coverage, and lower speed&mdash;although, sun-boosted Blue Flares are still extremely threatening. A lure set with Expert Belt is also feasible, but Reshiram's STABs provide neutral, not super effective, coverage. However, if one was to run such a set, a moveset of Draco Meteor, Blue Flare, Focus Blast, and Stone Edge best deals with Reshiram's most prominent checks.</p>

<p>Even farther down the factory reject line, one gets to some even stranger possibilities. Though it's highly unrecommended, Reshiram can run a dual screens set with Roost, Reflect, Light Screen, and Draco Meteor. While it works in theory, the opportunity cost is high, and it's heavily outclassed in practice by Deoxys-S and Latios due to their higher Speed and better utility moves.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Reshiram counters are few and far between, in fact, there are only two: specially defensive Water Arceus and Kyogre&mdash; and even these are shaky when Stealth Rock is on the field. Even Chansey can't switch in safely, for fear of being 2HKOd by Blue Flare after Stealth Rock. However, Reshiram loses a lot of its menace when it doesn't have sun, and even more is lost when it's raining. Once the weather has been changed, Chansey and Blissey can both safely avoid a 2HKO from Choice Specs Reshiram and stall it out. Ho-Oh and Arceus-Rock under sand can also defeat Reshiram handily with conditions their way, but Ho-Oh's Stealth Rock weakness and Arceus-Rock's susceptibility to Focus Blast mean that they are not strict counters. Tank Tyranitar can weather both Blue Flare and Draco Meteor, but falls to Focus Blast.</p>

<p>Palkia, Kyurem-W, Terrakion, Latias, and Choice Scarf Kyogre can all revenge kill Choice Specs and Offensive Reshiram, but it's hard to get them in. Flame Charge Reshiram can still be taken down by Scarf Kyurem-W, Scarf Terrakion, and Scarf Palkia. However, if against an Offensive Reshiram that uses Tailwind on the switch, one will often struggle to deal with it offensively. Reshiram's perfect coverage between two moves means that it can almost always hit one move's viable switch-ins for enormous damage with the other move. That said, it's rather slow; if one can get something in that can hurt it, it's pretty easy to force Reshiram out.</p>

<p>Finally, Reshiram is quite susceptible to residual damage. Sandstorm, Life Orb recoil, and entry hazards all lower its life expectancy considerably. Exploit its weakness to hazards, and Reshiram will fall quickly. Conversely, it's recommended that if Reshiram is on the opponent's team, try to keep hazards off the field. Getting extra HP chipped away can compromise a wall's ability to continuously switch into Reshiram. Finally, Toxic poison is a viable option for dealing with Reshiram; Chansey can poison it and stall it out with Softboiled.</p>

Reshiram counters are few and far between, in fact, there are only two: specially defensive Water Arceus and Kyogre&mdash; and even these are shaky when Stealth Rock is on the field.

reworded to

Although Reshiram might not have counters in the strictest definition of the word, specially defensive Kyogre and Water Arceus come pretty damn close. Without Stealth Rock down the only set that can hope to best them is Sunny Day Reshiram with SolarBeam, although Kyogre will also fall to Outrage.

I think the Choice Scarf set deserves some retesting. Kyurem-W is faster and hits harder with Draco Meteor but Reshiram has its own list of advantages as well. Some of them are:

Reshiram has a powerful STAB Blue Flare that totally roasts even max HP Arceus alive in the sun because you are faster as well with Scarf. Kyurem-W can't really threaten Arceus forms it cannot hit super effectively. Among them are Ghost Arceus(most prominent one) and Fighting Arceus. Blue Flare in the sun is so powerful even without an item boost, much stronger than Kyurem-W's Draco Meteor.

Reshiram is immune to burn and can switch in on Sacred Fires and Blue Flare. It can act as an OK Ho-Oh check with Stone Edge or Hidden Power Rock. Stone Edge deals more damage but can miss. Hidden Power Rock can still 2HKO Ho-Oh easily, you are faster so Ho-Oh has little hope of stalling you out. Also, immunity to Will-O-Wisp can be very helpful especially vs things like Defensive Arceus and Stalltwo.

Too long don't read, I think Scarf Reshiram deserves a set just like in BW1. Even Ho-Oh gets one Scarf set. I think Blue Flare's power in the sun is really big over Kyurem-W and Ghost/Fighting or even Normal Arceus forms can set up on Scarf Kyurem-W. Focus Blast is unreliable vs Normal Arceus and its horrible to get stuck on it. Non Specially Defensive Kyogre can't really easily switch in on repeated Draco Meteors anyway. Put it this way, its not like Kyurem-W's Ice Beam can hurt Kyogre either.

Kyogre can threaten Reshiram with Surf but Kyurem-W resists it, well Reshiram resists Steel and Fire, not weak to Fighting.